Would you like some fine art with your hand soap and toothpaste?
Amazon announced the launch of an art marketplace on Tuesday that will live at Amazon.com/art. More than 40,000 works of art from about 150 galleries and dealers are represented, which sell directly to Amazon shoppers and share a portion of the proceeds with Amazon.
Amazon's offerings are relatively modest compared to a behemoth like Art.com. But volume doesn't seem to be what Amazon is after -- at least, not yet. Instead, the company is focusing on offering high-end works, both originals and limited editions, directly from reputable galleries.
Among the galleries involved are Paddle8 in New York City, Holden Luntz Gallery in Miami and The McLoughlin Gallery and Modernbook Gallery in San Francisco. Works range from a $200 Clifford Ross photograph to a Norman Rockwell painting listed for $4.85 million.
What's the appeal of Amazon to a gallery owner? Osman Khan, the COO of Paddle8, says it offers a venue for selling some of the gallery's more "affordable" limited-edition works. Holden Luntz of Holden Luntz Gallery believes the ecommerce giant can help reach new clientele at a time when traditional art purchasing patterns are evolving.
Should the marketplace model prove popular at Amazon, we can surely expect to see Amazon carry some of its own fine art inventory in the future. As with wine, the benefit of the marketplace model for fine art is that Amazon doesn't have to secure specialized shipping and insurance -- both of which galleries are already expert in.
Would you purchase fine art from Amazon?